BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (Boston)—Medical student clerkships, the full immersion learning experiences in practice-based facilities for medical students, have learning objectives to define what students should learn by the end of their rotation, but medical educators are now asking, how does one know what larger lessons students are taking away? In a new study in the journal Family Medicine, researchers at...
Category: <span>Medical Education</span>
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Researchers zero in on potential new function of lymphatic system: producing blood
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA Scientists investigating the causes of lymphoedema have made a major discovery, revealing that lymphatic vessels can produce red and white blood cells. Until now, it was believed that blood cells derived solely from stem cells found in bone marrow. The discovery, made by an international team led by University of South...
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Study identifies features that may make motor neurons vulnerable to ALS
by National Institutes of Health Credit: Neuron (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.01.007 New research offers clues about the biology of cells in the spinal cord that die off in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. A team of researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health has found evidence linking motor neurons’ large cell size and supporting...
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Alzheimer’s drug saga prompts journal to scrutinize whistle-blowers
Holly Else Alzheimer’s disease, as shown on the right side of this scan, transforms the brains of people with the neurodegenerative condition.Credit: Science History Images/Alamy A scientific journal has revamped its whistle-blower policy amid a dispute over the integrity of research underlying an experimental Alzheimer’s drug. In a 1 November 2022 editorial in The Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), editor-in-chief Elizabeth McNally...
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Colonoscopies save lives. Why did a trial suggest they might not?
Emily Sohn Illustration by Jasiek Krzysztofiak It was an uncomfortable moment for people who perform colonoscopies. In October, a massive randomized clinical trial in Europe presented its initial results, which suggested that, as a screening tool, colonoscopies don’t save as many lives as expected. Researchers were perplexed because the procedure had long been considered a...
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EXPLAINER: New drug slows Alzheimer’s but comes with caveats
by LAURAN NEERGAARD and MATTHEW PERRONE This Dec. 21, 2022 image provided by Eisai in January 2023, shows vials and packaging for their medication Leqembi. On Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, U.S. health officials approved Leqembi, a new Alzheimer’s drug that modestly slows the brain-robbing disease. The Food and Drug Administration granted the approval Friday for patients in the early...
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Formation of pores in mitochondrial membrane elucidated
UNIVERSITY OF FREIBURG IMAGE: MODEL OF THE BETA-BARREL PROTEIN PORIN FROM BAKER’S YEAST FOUND IN THE MITOCHONDRIAL OUTER MEMBRANE. CREDIT: ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTOPHE WIRTH/UNIVERSITY OF FREIBURG Mitochondria are considered to be the power plants of cells and are essential for human metabolism. Dysfunction in 40 percent of mitochondrial proteins are associated with human diseases, which is...
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Medical providers often lack training in caring for those with disabilities
by CU Anschutz Medical Campus Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Patients with disabilities often face medical providers who make inaccurate assumptions about their quality of life that can lead to paternalism and substandard care, according to an essay published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). “The term ‘ableism’ is not as well-known as the term ‘racism’ but it...
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What is Perimenopause?
By Michael Greenwood, M.Sc. Reviewed by Danielle Ellis, B.Sc. Perimenopause means “around menopause” and refers to the transition period before menopause and cessation of menstruation, which can last for several years. From when periods begin until perimenopause, the period is termed premenopause, and once menopause is completed, it is known as postmenopause. Image Credit: Jack_the_sparow/Shutterstock.com Perimenopause typically...
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What is a Bone Density Scan (DEXA scan)?
A bone density scan, also known as a DEXA scan, is a procedure that measures the amount of calcium and other minerals in a bone by passing x-rays with two different energy levels through the bone. It shows the strength and thickness of a bone and is usually done in the lower spine, hip, lower...